Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-20
OTHER STRANGE CASES.

the influence, magnetic or otherwise, does
take hold of these peculiar psychical con-
ditions and modfies them benefcially.
OTHER STRANGE CASES.
There aro many strange cases which come
under this category, and DR.. Hammond re-
Gently discussed some of them in The Forum.
That of the dry goods bookkeeper who few
months ago stepped out of his place of bust
ness in this city and came to himself, as it
were, in Washington several weeks later, ap-
pears to have been of the same kind. In all
such cases it is to be observed that there is
continuity of physical control and also of
mental action. The personality is sometimes
changed, but though the normal identity dis
appears, another instantly supplants it. The
man does not become bewildered. He only
| becomes another man. He is able to go about
some business to act SO as not to attract at
tention; in some instances to take up and
carry on a new line Of purpose and thought.
Phenomena Of this character formerly were
held applicable only by the theory of obses-
sion by free spirit The Interpretation was
at least Ineligible, granting the premises,
and the Spiritualists have staple illustra-
ton, known as the "W atseka Wonder" in
which young girl was "obsessed" by the
spirit Of another, and cham ed her person
atty for some months The French scientists,
and perhaps Mr.. Myers also, would reject tbs
"obsesson" theory, and necessarily from their
point of view, but they certainly have not
| succeeded in showing how or why these
strange metamorphoses occur. The hypothe-
sis that we all carry about with us the poten-
TALLY of any number of personalities, which,
| or any one or more of them, may be set in
activity by some fortuitouS pressure upon a
| particular part of the brain, is, to say the
| least, unpleasant to contemplate, and the
| more SO inasmuch as nobody appears capable
of suggesting any method by which such
| mysterious interferences with personality can
| be prevented. Altogether it is a remarkable
| and deeply interesting, but decidedly obscure
| subject.-New York Tribune.
"A Very Young niercna"..
! Some odd facts are occasionally found just
| beneath a most commonplace surface. Hap
| paning in q large hat and cap establishment
wholesale-the other day, l inquired for the
proprietor A boy about II years old was
| pointed out to me. "But | want to see the
proprietor" l said. Il am the proprietor of
| this store-what can | do for you!" exclaimed
| the lad And, sure enough, investigation
| proved that lie was the actual owner of the
establishment, and nominally the head Of the
| firm His father had owned the store, but,
| having other business as well and not wishing
| to carry them both in his own name, present
| ed the hat and cap establishment to his IL
| year old son and placed the boy in charge
| OF course the father still exercises general
| control, but the legal head of the firm, signer
| of checks, keeper of the combination Of the
| safe and man of authority is the son, I'M
| doubtedly the youngest wholesale merchant
n Chicago.-ChicaCo Herald
Mr.. Thompson and the Painting Bride.
Assistant Secretary Thompson, Of the
| treasury department is said to be an expert
in reviving swooning persons, but not until
last week did he have an opportunity to dis
play his skill in that line for the benefit of his
official associates. A party Of New England
excursionists were passing through the de-
partInent. among them being newly mar
ried couple. In consequence Of the overexer-
ton or the poor sanitary condition Of the
treasury, the young bride fell in faint i'm.
mediately in front of Mr.. Thompsons office.
Hearing the commotion in the corridor,
Mr. Thompson opened his door, and. taking
in the situation at glance, directed that the
fainting lady be laid upon the sofa in his
room The young husband was almost fran
tic, and with an utter disregard for the pres
ence of strangers he endeavored TO restore his
wife to consciousness by pressing her to his
bosom and caressing her extravagantly- Mr..
Thompson suggested his infallible remedy OF
stretching the patient upon her back, with
her head downward, 50 as TO allow the blood
to circulate to the brain. The young husband
at first demonstrated against what seemed to
him to be treatment too heroic for his better
half but he finally consented, and in q few
minutes the young lady was restored, and the
happy couple rejoined their friends and con-
tinued Their sight seeing expedition
Mr.. Thompson says he obtained his expert
ence in fainting cases from DR.. Cuttings, Of
Coluubia. S. c. The doctor was called upon
| laIu who baf fafursz1